The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-05-19
About RamIe Cultivation and MANN
faefUre

of questions Of public interest
After reading Mr.. Coleman's letter in the
=. Gazette 5" Of last week, which believe is
the same as appears in the Planters
Monthly" l certainly had right 20 expect
that information would be sought before
editorial comment was made. Not one
fota has been asked of me, although Mr.
Coleman saws. Z" ask W r. Castle; " nor
has any been sought from Mr.. w. F. Allen,
the active and honorable Secretary and
Treasurer Of the Hawaiian Ranlie Com
pany, nor OF Mr. 4. J. Cartwright, its
President. In fact there has been no at
tempt to get information from any officer
, or from Messrs. Patty and Schaefer, who
are Directors in the concern. May L then
ask-Where is your fairness in criticism
May I also ask-Did you read Mr.. Cole
mans letter throughout? Did you observe
that near the close he asks that Mr.. Lycan
send him the drawings and plans of his
machine in order that he may-what?
Why, find out what Mr.. Lycan's machine
Is, and then he proposes to tell him its de-
fects. Mr. Coleman sold his machine and
patents to parties here, and when delivered
they proved TO be short of representation.
But what desire most to call your at
tention to is the actual existing state OF
facts with regard to ramie machines and
the ramie industry in Hawaii.
The purchasers of Coleman's machine
and patents at once put the machine in
order, supplying the missing parts from
Honolulu Iron Works. The machine was
then tested, and thoroughly and well
tested, and it failed to do its work. Mr..
Lycan made several improvements and
alterations, and the machine was further
tested an application made for the bonus
of SO 900 offered by the Act of 1884. The
Commissioner appointed by the Minister
of the Interior approved of the work, but
said, - This is a new machine, and must be
patented" This was done, still the ma
chine did not satisfy the owners, and Mr..
Lycan put his wits at work and invented
an entirely new machine, which is I'M
questionably a very great improvement on
Colemans. AS 1 glance at the long, mag
nificent specimen of ramie fibre at my side
as 1 write, feel the comforting assurance
that. in spite of uphill work, the Lycan
machine, which cleaned this ramie, will yet
open a new field of industry for Hawaii
which can be shared in by the poorest OF It's
inhabitants.
Mr.. Editor,-In my opinion, the work Of
developing such an industry as this might
well be undertaken by Government for
the public benefit. Hawaii saw fit to en-
courage it by offering to pay $4,000 TO any
one who would do it, leaving it for private
enterprise to do the work. Accepting the
offer OF the Hawaiian nation, and thereby
completing a contract, Messrs. Dillingham;,
Lycan and myself undertook to do the
work l made the advances, which now
amount to over $12 900, and fulfilled every
condition required by the law. The 900
was never paid, and the virtuous and
patriotic Legislative Assembly of 1886 re-
fused to appropriate anything to fulfill the
national contract. We have turned over
the machine and patents to the Hawaiian
Ramie Company, which, in spite of many
drawbacks and some mishaps, has
been steadily at work developing
the industry. A completed ramie
machine is now in Hilo. This machine
most undoubtedly has defects. They will
be discovered upon a steady trial, and they
will be remedied, and the machine per-
fected The company has leased land
enough near HilO, on the Volcano road, to
give the cultivation fair trial, and-mak
ing their own seed by replantIng and cut
ting-has at last about thirty acres of
growing ramie nearly ripe. 1t is pro-
posed to cut this ramie about June
next 1t will be cleaned and baled and
sent to market, and I am very sorry to
say that from lack of funds the company
may have to suspend operations then till
the result of the shipment is known.
These are the facts, Mr.. Editor. Not only
are the stockholders of the Hawaiian
Ramie Company invited to inspect every
item of expenditure, but yourself and the
public in general are invited to look at the
accounts and work, and if there be any
opinion except that money has been care
fully expended and has good results to
show, l am mistaken in the science of
figures.
Mr. Coleman talks about bark and
FIBRE" ETC., and says we cannot sell our
bark. Yet, Mr.. Editor, the specimen sent
to US as a sample of what would be re-
quired is not so well cleaned or handsome
in appearance as what our machine has
done and will do, and we have besides the
letter of DR.. J. Mott Smith, who writes
from New Orleans, April 20, 1885. After
reviewing the various machines there and
the subject generally, he says, ''Mr. Cole
man will possibly pick up some ideas
here which may simplify his machine. If
so your company will be in the forefront
on ramie. You can rest assured that you
can sell all the bark you can render at
cents per pound" The Lycan machine
is simpler and better than the Coleman
machine. DR.. Smith writes May 81 1885,
still at New Orleans: Taking off the bark
slick and clean, without tangling the fibre
this is what the spinners want. Ramie
bark in this state, no matter how gummy
or full of epidermis or of cellulose it may
be, is marketable 1t strikes
me that Coleman has struck a good prin-
cipie in his machine. 1t turns out pro-
duct which compares well with any that
] have seen. The specimen sent
in with the exhibit is better than ANYTHING
1 have seen here" Mr.. Fremery, who
was the acknowledged authority on Ramie
~ IL